Grand Ridge- The problem stemmed from a train derailment that happened earlier this month.

At least one of the cars contained a gas refrigerant called methyl chloride. The chemical can be harmful if someone were to breathe in a large amount of it.

Crews were scheduled to begin off-loading the gas from the derailed car at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, and then transfer it to another tanker,but somehow the message got distorted.

"The schools took their precautions, the next thing we know the rumor's all over Jackson County that we've had a hazmat incident in Grand Ridge. I've heard they're evacuating the town, we've had an explosion, they're evacuating the schools and parents are concerned, and these are how rumors get started," said Jackson County Emergency Management Director Rodney Andreasen.

Andreasen said crews were expected to begin the off-loading later Thursday night.

A GYNAECOLOGY ward at Lewisham Hospital had to be evacuated because of a chemical incident yesterday (August 23).

Patients and staff were transferred to another part of the fifth floor of A-block at University Hospital Lewisham at around 9.40am yesterday morning after refrigerant gas began leaking from a fridge.

Specialist firefighter crews were called in and removed the fridge from a utility room, just off the ward.

Wearing breathing apparatus they double bagged the fridge so no more gas could escape before using the fire lift to get it out of the building.

TEMPE, AZ (KPHO) -An air conditioning repairman was critically injured in a rollover accident Friday morning that ended in a HAZMAT spill, leaving five bystanders hurt.

The man, with Goettl Air Conditioning, was driving the van near Priest and Rio Salado in Tempe when the vehicle rolled over, firefighters said. The man was ejected and the van ended up partially on top of him.

A liquid used in air conditioners spilled onto him and he suffered second-degree burns, according to fire officials. He may also have ingested some of the chemical, rescue crews said.

Five bystanders who rushed to help him suffered minor injuries from their exposure to the chemical.

Investigators are still searching for a cause after a massive chemical fire at Naeja Pharmaceuticals in southeast Edmonton Tuesday. The blaze caused $7 million in damage.

Naeja Pharmaceuticals President and CEO Chris Micetich told CTV News a fire broke out over the lunch hour Tuesday in a refrigerator used to store chemicals. He says staff heard what sounded like a champagne bottle popping in the fridge.

"They opened up the fridge and they noticed there was a solvent that had spilled a little bit and while they were trying to determine what happened there was a spark and a flame broke out within the refrigerator."

Edmonton Fire Rescue received a 911 call after staff failed to contain the chemical. Sixty-five staff members working at the lab escaped safely.

An air quality advisory in southeast Edmonton was ordered following the explosion and blaze, with officials asking nearby residents to stay indoors -- keeping their furnaces and air conditioners off due to potentially toxic smoke. 

CHEMICAL fumes flooded Newcastle's Harbourpark building twice yesterday, prompting two major emergency operations.
Sixteen people were taken to hospital and another 280 evacuated about 9.30am following reports an "unexplained odour" had flooded the Argyle Street building's upper levels.
At 3.30pm, less than two hours after the building was deemed safe for workers to return, staff were evacuated a second time after reporting a "different chemical odour" had drifted through the offices.
Another 12 people were taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment, complaining of respiratory irritation and nausea.
The dual evacuation took the total number of major emergency operations at the site over the past five years to four.
Hazmat investigations revealed the first release of chemical fumes yesterday was caused from a water purification chemical, which was used in the building's air-conditioning system.